This invention relates to a method of preparing of preparing improved shredded cheeses, especially improved shredded natural cheeses, with calcium fortification. The shredded cheeses of this invention require less anti-caking agents than conventionally prepared shredded cheeses.
Shredded cheese is a growing component the overall cheese market largely because such a product offers the consumer convenience in the preparation of a wide variety of products in the home kitchen. Shredded cheeses, for example, can be used as toppings or ingredients in homemade dishes such as pizzas, casseroles, salads, and the like.
Ideally, shredded cheeses should not agglomerate during storage and use and should provide melting characteristics and other organoleptic properties similar to their counterpart non-shredded cheeses. Unfortunately, to provide a non-agglomerating shredded cheese it is usually necessary to incorporate significant amounts of anti-caking agent in the shredded cheese. Generally, the amount of anti-caking agent used in conventional shredded cheeses is greater than about 2 percent, and more often in the range of about 2 to about 4 percent. Such anti-caking agents generally have adverse effects on melting and other organoleptic properties. For example, excess anti-caking agents tend to restrict melt characteristics or to cause excessive browning when melted, both of which are perceived negatively by the consumer. Additionally, many anti-caking agents also impart an undesirable gritty texture to the shredded cheese product. Often the anti-caking agents appear as white flecks or particulates on the cheese surfaces. Such white flecks are often mistaken as mold growth by the consumer.
The most common anti-caking agents are cellulose-based products or formulations. Efforts to solve the problems associated with anti-caking agents have generally involved modified anti-caking agents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,893 (May 6, 1997) provided an anti-caking agent formulated from fine mesh vegetable flour, bentonite, cellulose, and antimycotic agents or bacterial cultures. This anti-caking agent reportedly reduces the stickiness of the chunked, diced, or shredded cheese, improves the functionality of the cheese, and reduces yeast and/or mold growth.
Generally, another important objective of food products manufactured for public consumption is the enhancement of their nutritional properties while preserving their organoleptic properties. Nutritional fortification of cheese products may include supplementation with trace requirements or additives that benefit the overall state of health of the human body. Examples of nutritional fortification include supplementation by vitamins, minerals, and comparable materials. These supplements are either absolutely essential for human metabolism or enhance the provision of substances that may not be available in sufficient amounts in a normal diet.
Considerable research has been directed to nutritional fortification of foods, including cheeses. It has now been surprising found that calcium fortification of shredded cheese allows for significantly reduced levels, and in some case elimination, of anti-caking agents in shredded cheeses. Using the process of this invention, shredded cheeses with desired non-agglomeration properties, excellent organoleptic properties, and improved nutritional properties can be prepared.
The present invention provides a method of making flavorful, organoleptically pleasing, non-agglomerating, shredded natural cheese containing one or more nutritional supplements. The method includes the steps of:
(1) shredding a natural cheese to form pieces;
(2) adding a nutritional supplement nutritional supplement comprising calcium sulfate dihydrate to the shredded cheese to form a mixture;
(3) blending the mixture to achieve an essentially homogenous shredded cheese; and
(4) packaging the essentially homogenous shredded cheese;
wherein the calcium sulfate dihydrate is added in an amount sufficient to provide nutritionally supplementation and to provide non-agglomerating properties. The use of the nutritional supplement of this invention allows preparation of shredded cheeses containing significantly reduced levels of conventional anti-caking agents while still maintaining the desired non-agglomerating properties. In some cases, conventional anti-caking agents are essentially eliminated.
Also provided is a flavorful, organoleptically pleasing, non-agglomerating shredded natural cheese containing a nutritional supplement, said natural cheese prepared by method comprising the steps of:
(1) shredding a natural cheese to form pieces;
(2) adding a nutritional supplement comprising calcium sulfate to the shredded cheese to form a mixture;
(3) blending the mixture to achieve an essentially homogenous shredded cheese; and
(4) packaging the essentially homogenous shredded cheese;
wherein the calcium sulfate dihydrate is added in an amount sufficient to provide nutritionally supplementation and to provide non-agglomerating properties.
The nutritional supplement of the present invention includes calcium sulfate dihydrate in an amount sufficient to significantly reduce the amount of conventional anti-caking agent required to provide a non-agglomerating, shredded cheese. Preferably, the amount of calcium sulfate dihydrate applied is sufficient to eliminate the need for conventional anti-caking agents. More preferably, the amount the amount of calcium sulfate dihydrate applied is also sufficient to provide a desirable level of calcium fortification to the shredded cheese product. Preferably, the amount of calcium fortification is sufficient to provide at least about 500 mg Ca per 30 grams serving size. In an especially preferred embodiment, the shredded cheese of the present invention provides at least about 500 mg Ca per 30 grams serving size and contains natamycin as a mold inhibitor.
The nutritional supplement may also include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, botanicals, and mixtures thereof. Suitable vitamins include, for example, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, B vitamins, niacin, folate, folic acid, and the like as well as mixtures thereof. Suitable minerals include, for example, salts of metal nutrients, wherein the metals are chosen from among calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, chromium, and the like as wells as mixtures thereof; salts of inorganic minerals such as, for example, phosphate, sulfate, chloride, and the like as well as mixtures thereof can also be used. Suitable antioxidants include, for example propyl gallate, octyl gallate, dodecyl gallate, butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, and the like as well as mixtures thereof. Suitable probiotics include, for example Acidophilus Bifidobacterium, Lacotbacilus Johnsonii, and the like as well as mixtures thereof. Suitable botanicals include, for example St. John wort, ginseng, ginkgo bibba, and the like as well as mixtures thereof. Of course, as those skilled in the art will realize, other vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, and botanticals can also be used in the present invention. In additional embodiments, the natural cheese is chosen from among Cheddar cheese, Colby cheese, Monterey jack, Havarti cheese, uenster cheese, Brick cheese, Gouda cheese, and mixtures thereof.